Unexpected Losses
by Arcane Assassin
Summary: Sometimes what you think you have lost isn't so straight forward.


If anyone were to ask him what had happened, he wouldn't have answered, couldn't have answered; there was nothing left of the boy who was, only of the boy who is no longer.

You can delay the inevitable, but you cannot win.

Bored. That was how he looked, incredibly, incurably bored. With a soft sigh, he slid off, quite promptly, from his chair, landing with a solid thump on his back. He inhaled deeply through his nose, before exhaling sharply through his now open mouth.

"You know," He drawled in his soft voice, "a move any time now would be generously appreciated; that'd be great, thanks."

Nasuada frowned at his comment but made no indication of moving anytime soon.

"Why don't you just give up now?" He asked, lifting his head off of the floor to look at her.

"Because…" She started, looking intensely at the board that lay on the table between them, "I refuse to give up until I have lost properly."

He scoffed lightly at that, "Really?" He questioned with one eyebrow raised delicately, in a most feminine manner.

"Really." With one hand suspended over the board, Nasuada finally made her move.

"You know you can't win, right?" He stated in a matter of fact tone.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Past experience."

"And you're absolutely sure that there is no way for me to win?"

"Positive."

"I refuse to believe it."

"Believe what you will, but to be fair, you can delay the inevitable, but you cannot win. That much was decided when you chose me as your opponent."

"Delay the inevitable? Isn't that a bit arrogant of you?" I interject into the duos conversation.

He turns his large brown eyes on me, surprised almost, as if he had forgotten that I was there.

"Arrogant?" He questions, taking a moment to consider my interruption, "Perhaps, but it is based in truth." Frowning he lifts himself up, just enough to see over the edge of the table.

"Knight to E4." Looking back at me, he motions with his head to move the piece for him, too lazy to completely remove himself from the floor. Shaking my own head in response I reach over to place it on the designated area.

Retreating to my seat I survey the board; there was no obvious link between all of his pieces, scattered as they were across the board, but the growing piled of defeated white on his end hinted at a larger strategy.

Nasuada's pieces, however, were more obviously placed, reacting to the situations he had set up, but with a cunning attack that had scored her a number of his black playing pieces; not nearly as numerous as the ones he had collected, but something made me think that he had let her win those minor victories.

Nasuada's turn was shorter this time. As she placed her King on the board a small smile stole over his face.

"Checkmate." His eyes were closed, but his assumption was correct; it was not until he opened his mouth that his strategy became evident. He had been manipulating the game right from the start, but in such a manner that it had not even aroused suspicion in myself, or his opponent.

Nasuada was stunned, "how…?" She asked, but he made no move to answer, choosing instead to raise himself off the floor, only to knock her King over with his finger.

Looking at her shocked expression, he allowed himself a small smile, casting a shallow glance in my direction, "What do you say?" He asked, "Fancy a game?"

His childlike smile completely caught me off guard; it's true, I had never seen him smile properly before, but I had never expected it to be so… effective in its execution.

Leaning casually against the side of the table, he continued to gaze at me expectantly.

"Come on," He insisted, "You can't be any worse than Nasuada."

She glowered at him, reacting rather gracelessly, tossing one of the pieces at him. He dodged it easily, catching it in his left hand as it sailed harmlessly past his face.

He seemed amused by her response, a smirk tugging at his lips, replacing his sly smile.

"Another time perhaps." I decline his offer, remembering the one and only time I had ever played a game against him; the results had been rather surprising. It had been in his room during his first stay in Ellesméra, he had won, not a minor win, but one that had left me floundering trying to figure out how he had managed it.

To this day I still have no idea how he won, or how such a failure on my part had ended with me waking in his bed the next morning…

In my defence, when I awoke, he was curled up on the floor, fully dressed, asleep next to the board, looking as if he had fallen over in his seat onto the floor.

I tried to supress the shudder that came over me simply recalling how vulnerable he looked, just lying there, sleeping… Such an experience was something I had no desire to repeat; besides it was not as if we didn't have better things to do than play board games, a fact I thought prudent to remind them both of.

"And if you two are quite done wasting time, I suggest we make our way to _your_ meeting Nasuada – lest they see fit to send out another search party."

At least Nasuada had the grace to look guilty, before throwing an accusing glare at Eragon, who just continued to lounge against the table rolling the piece Nasuada had thrown at him between his fingers, acting as if none of this was his concern, when, by all rights, it was.

"Well, we know whose fault that is." She muttered under her breath.

I raised an eyebrow at that, as I seemed to recall walking in on them as they had just finished their game, Eragon facing her with a look of complete indifference as she protested his absolute victory before proceeding to insisting upon a rematch that instant.

He looked up at that but didn't say anything, once again his expression indifferent, yet somehow, something about those deep brown eyes, made him seem far more alert than first thought.

"Well," He said, standing up properly and placing the piece on the centre of the board, "No sense in keeping them waiting; we wouldn't want them to doubt your capability, now would we?"

Nasuada continued to glare at him, yet something about the way he said it made me think that the remark wasn't entirely aimed at the young leader of the Varden. That and the fact he had given it in accompaniment of a pointed look in my direction.

"Indeed." Was all I said in response not liking the potential hidden meaning of his words.

With a playful look, he bowed in a most courtly fashion, patronising almost in its design, pulling open the entrance to the tent as he did, ushering us both out.

"I don't suppose you would reconsider my offer later tonight?" He whispered as I passed him.

Memories of that night threw themselves to the forefront of my mind once more, bringing with them a sudden rush of heat. Scowling internally, I tried desperately to tame the redness of my cheeks, hoping desperately that he wouldn't notice, but such hope was in vain.

He was far more observant than he had ever let on, and it would seem that I was to pay dearly for the mistake of underestimating him.

"Perhaps." I murmured in reply, knowing that as I did a very devilish grin stole over his features.

It would seem that I was going to be in for a very long night…


End file.
